Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Kris5902]

Interesting that you should mention that ChicoryBlue.
Only one of my hens has feathered feet and I have noticed that the feathers looked pecked at. They are sometimes chewed back to the quill and once or twice have been missing entirely with just a bloody spot left on the leg.

Maybe because you have more than one girl with feathered legs? I think the rest of my flock thinks there's something wrong with Edwina's legs and try to fix it.

Yes, they do this 100% Even when I had no other feather pecking at all going on in Chickie Hawk’s tractor (before the naughty feather picking bully was added to the flock) his ladies would peck off all the feathers on his feet and legs. Just the foot feathers! “This is different, here we will fix it for you by tearing them out!”

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Eggs!!!! Finally!!!!

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Yes, they do this 100% Even when I had no other feather pecking at all going on in Chickie Hawk’s tractor (before the naughty feather picking bully was added to the flock) his ladies would peck off all the feathers on his feet and legs. Just the foot feathers! “This is different, here we will fix it for you by tearing them out!”

Ouch! It can't feel very good.

 

[RoyalChick]

Eggs!!!! Finally!!!!

Congratulations! Who laid them? How many? What color? We may need pics!

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Dandelion aka Dandy, 2, one yesterday and today, and pretty pinkish brown, I cant post pictures, because my phone is acting up.

 

[BY Bob]

I have been worrying that I might not always be able to tell which is Minnie and which is Dotty. There are some subtle differences in appearance but as they grow they have become more alike in character - Dotty has become bolder and Minnie a tad more restrained so I can no longer tell them apart that way.
but I think the difference in their combs will be a reliable way to tell.
Minnie’s comb just flops forward over her beak, no part of it even pretends to stand upright. Dotty’s comb stands more upright and then flops over her left eye.
View attachment 2438851
While they were posing for me I noticed some little scabs on their combs.
I hope it isn’t fowl pox, but I think it might be. Or it could be rough-and-tumble pecking injuries.
Apparently fowl pox resolves in its own and neither ladies seem remotely off color (rather the opposite - they seem full of beans chasing each other around the place) but I will watch carefully.
Anyone got any experience of this?
View attachment 2438859

I can't say that I have any experience with anything like that.

I do love that you tell them apart by their combs. That is how I did all my leghorns.

 

[BY Bob]

I think Tegan has gone broody on me!

She caught the Aussie Hatching Fever!

 

[Shadrach]

Do baby chicks play? Do adult chickens, for that matter?

I believe they do. A lot will depend on your general view of other species. Some wil say it's all about dominance, but then you could say the same about humans at play.
Link and Tack still play. Not often and if you were not watching carefully you might think Link was bullying Tack. What he is doing is teaching her to fight. It's play with a purpose.
Chicks play, but there is an obvious purpose behind it. With humans, due to the complexity of the games, one has to look beyond the complexity to see that, if one must use the word, it's also about dominance, but we call it winning. All games have that winning factor in them.

 

[BY Bob]

I tried to grab a couple shots yesterday to save for chicken tax or whatever, but wanted to share this one because of the fall vibe and happiness of the flock being out of the run.
View attachment 2439619

Just a wonderful photo.

 

[BY Bob]

Do baby chicks play? Do adult chickens, for that matter?

I believe that I have read article on them playing. Maybe I can find 1 or two. I believe the answer is yes.